petition: SAVE the Pack Animals at Havasu Falls in the Grand Canyon, Arizona

A concerned group of citizens have started the “Stop Animal ViolencE” (SAVE) group to protect the pack animals in Havasupai from abuse. These horses and mules travel from Hualapi Hilltop to Havasu Falls daily, and there have been an overwhelming number of reports of rampant and heinous animal abuse. We are calling on the Havasupai Tribal Council to establish a minimum standard of care for all horses and mules living in Supai, AZ.

Until it is confirmed that these standards have been adopted and implemented, we will boycott trips to the Havasu Falls that use of horses and mules.

This treatment that has been witnessed by many tourists around the world is nothing short of horrifying and violent for both animals and humans.

SAVE has collected first-hand accounts of extreme animal abuse and neglect by specific violent people. Recently, a Havasupai man was charged with four counts of animal abuse. We are turning to you, the public, to help these defenseless animals. We are committed to the cessation of violence against animals by these violent individuals.

Please help us in putting a stop to this violence and bringing about not only healing for these peaceful, deserving animals, but with your signature, change.

Do you feel pain and agony seeing this photo and imagining the terror of these horses? We have eyewitness accounts of these horses being punched, kicked, pushed off the sides of mountains when injured, starved to death, without water and rest for long periods of time. It’s a death camp for pack animals.

So, please, reach into your pain and feel the ferocity of compassion well up in your heart. And then take action. Sign this petition to demand that the Havasupai Tribal Council adopt SAVE’s guidelines for a minimum standard of care for these horses and mules. For you, for me, for the earth and for all the inhabitants who will suffer if this abuse continues. Find us on Facebook here.

I am thoroughly and disgustingly outraged at the site of absolute abuse and torture of these poor animals!! I cannot for the life of me understand people like Leland Joe – shame on you!! May he go to prison for many years due to his complete disregard and DISRESPECT for these animals. Perhaps he needs to be mistreated just as he did these poor animals and see how he likes it.

From what I’ve learned, people like this don’t see animals as anything other than property. People like this own pets, like the neighbor that keeps the dog chained in the backyard 24×7. I try to figure out why they think that way. It comes from parents and family. Like the uncle who pitches the deer he just shot into the lake so he can go out again and try for a bigger one. It comes from church dogma where people believe GOD wants them to dominate the Earth. What is inspiring are people like you who get thoroughly disgusted and outraged about this sort of thing. I have to be careful and do lots of checking because sometimes people are doing good things but other caring people don’t see it that way. Like the farmer in Tennessee who had all his horses taken away because drivers-by saw the malnourished creatures and reported him but those were actually horses he’d adopted and was trying to save! So we need to talk to each other more. I find many are from the old school and still embrace the old ways but these are new days when things are a fraction of what they were before. There are no longer huge herds of antelopes. 90% of the large fish in the oceans are GONE. It’s past time to change our ways and become stewards and nurturers.

I am 100% opposed to the abuse of these animals. As a recommendation to one of several ways of solving this crisis consider contacting the Animal Legal Defense Fund, 170 East Cotati Ave., CA 94931. – aldf.org
Sincerely.;
Cathy Varen

I am haunted by what is happening to the pack animals of the Grand Canyon. The treatment of the pack animals is beyond any form of abuse I have ever heard about and it’s an outrage that nothing can be done about it because the Havasu Indian tribe who is willingly doing this to those poor animals is a sovereign nation. It’s been quietly going on for around fifty years and is still going strong in spite of efforts made and the SPCA going there for months to make them conform to humane behavior. I understand that lasted for about three months and now its back to business as usual and the animals continue to suffer in a way that no living thing should experience. How can they be stopped? I’m beyond surprised that such a proud race with a history of respect for animals and a nation that gave thanks for buffalo kills for food could behave in this way. It’s a disgrace. I’m a senior citizen who will not be traveling to the Grand Canyon to see for myself, but I will sure be spreading the word of this crisis. Short of doing that, I’m at a loss for ways to help. If there is more to be done that I am unaware of please count me in and advise.
With a heavy heart for the animals,

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